May 9, 2023 - Parker’s recently opened a new Parker’s Kitchen at 5644 N. Rhett Ave. in North Charleston, S.C. Strategically positioned just north of I-526 at the intersection of Rhett Ave. and Remount Rd., the company’s 75th retail store offers award-winning, Southern-style, made-from-scratch food for breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as a wide range of convenience items.

The company hosted a special ribbon cutting ceremony on May 1, which was attended by local dignitaries including North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey, City Councilman Bob King and representatives from the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce.

The bright, inviting store design in North Charleston, S.C. features a new Lowcountry-inspired prototype offering a modern, contemporary glass-front façade with lime-washed brick, handsome bracketry and designer lighting. The retail footprint at the company’s 12th store in the metro Charleston area offers an optimized interior layout to maximize efficiency for customers, with manned as well as self-check-out stations.

“We’re delighted to underscore our commitment to metro Charleston residents and to meet the growing demand for Parker’s Kitchen food, fuel and other essential items in North Charleston,” said Parker’s founder and CEO Greg Parker. “Our business model is based on strategically expanding in the path of growth. We believe that North Charleston is a major driver for growth in the Palmetto State.”

Parker’s currently operates 31 locations in South Carolina and gives back to communities where stores are located through the Fueling the Community program and the Parker’s Community Fund. The company’s Round-Up Campaign gives customers the opportunity to join forces with Parker's Kitchen to end childhood hunger, with donations at all South Carolina stores benefiting the Lowcountry Food Bank. In addition, the Parker’s Community Fund made a landmark $5 million donation to Roper/St. Francis Healthcare in February 2023 to support community health initiatives, patients and caregivers across the region.

The newest Parker’s Kitchen in North Charleston offers popular grab-and-go options as well as a hot bar serving breakfast, lunch and dinner daily and convenient electronic kiosk ordering. Popular items include never-frozen, antibiotic-free, double-breaded Southern Fried Chicken Tenders, signature mac ‘n’ cheese and potato logs. Additional highlights include the Parker’s Kitchen Spicy Chicken Tender Sandwich, freshly made salads, gourmet coffee, freshly brewed sweet tea, lemonade, 28-degree beer, fountain drinks with Chewy Ice and a wide range of convenience items. The new store offers regular, diesel and marine non-ethanol fuel.

NORTH CHARLESTON — The city of North Charleston is planning to make a $6 million purchase of about 400 acres of land around Ingleside Boulevard, property that will be used to develop what the city is calling an urban park.

But this recreational amenity that some say will enhance quality of life is raising concerns about livability.

City Council voted unanimously April 27 to move forward with buying the property, currently owned by Weber USA Corp. The tracts of land make up what is known as the Ingleside Weber Park System, located west of Interstate 26.

Most of the property consists of wetlands, though just over 100 acres are highlands, or areas that can be walked or built upon. The idea is to use the 400-acre space to create a passive park that will include boardwalks, walking paths and nature trails.

Instead of having to travel elsewhere to hike or enjoy the outdoors, people in North Charleston will be able to practice that kind of recreational activity essentially in their own backyard, Mayor Keith Summey said.

To pay for the land purchase, $3 million is being provided in Charleston County Greenbelt funds, $1 million in city tax-increment finance district funds, $1 million from the South Carolina Conservation Bank, and $1 million from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

City spokesman Ryan Johnson said North Charleston is doing the project because the plan is a good use of greenbelt funds, which are designed to help conserve outdoor space. It was also convenient that North Charleston was able to secure additional grant opportunities, Johnson added. There is no timetable yet for the park’s construction.

“Having a big park in an urban core is a very good amenity,” he said.

The idea of a park that could potentially bring more noise to the area alarmed Councilwoman Virginia Jamison, who has been fighting for a decade for a sound barrier to be built along I-26 to protect members of Deerpark, Northwood Estates and other adjacent communities from the blaring sounds of traffic commuting along the highway. Acquiring necessary funding from the city, county or state to build the wall has not been successful.

During a recent Finance Committee meeting, Jamison said her constituents are concerned about the increased levels of sounds emitting from the interstate and they are also worried that more noise will come from the new park. Traffic could also increase soon, as the county’s new Palmetto Commerce Interchange will soon be constructed nearby at Weber Boulevard.

Other development is also on the way to Ingleside Boulevard, which is already home to a few neighborhoods, several churches and a handful of businesses. Developers are planning on the southern end of the boulevard to build a town center that will include retail and restaurant space, a parking deck, hundreds of apartment units, and hundreds of hotel rooms.

Jamison called on City Council to take noise reduction seriously.

“If this body is not concerned about the livability and quality of life in our city, then I have a problem,” said Jamison, who did not attend the April 27 full council meeting.

Councilwoman Dorothy Williams echoed her concerns.

Summey implied that the park will center on passive nature, pointing to its focus on walking trails. The only physical building that will be constructed at the park is a facility to house restrooms and first aid.

NORTH CHARLESTON — How many places in the Charleston area feature a fully stocked case of warmed house-made flour and corn tortillas ready for pick-up?

I can think of just one: El Molino Supermarket, which opened at 5900 Rivers Ave. in North Charleston on April 12.

That’s just the start of what patrons will find at the second location of this Mexican superstore, owned by Jaime Tinoco and Pamela Sierra, who both grew up in Mexico.

The full-scale grocery store is a much larger version of the West Ashley original, which has found immense success despite opening in June 2020 amid the pandemic.

One of the biggest draws has been its in-house tortilleria, an operation that has grown since the expansion to North Charleston, a 37,000-square-foot location with 45 employees. The new outpost is loosely based on Mexican supermarkets Tinoco and Sierra visited in Dallas, Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

“I’m really happy because we’ve been busy all day since we opened,” Sierra said.

In addition to those freshly made tortillas, El Molino North Charleston features fresh meat and seafood counters; several aisles of pantry goods imported from Mexico; a scratch bakery; artisanal ice cream shop; and taqueria churning out tacos, burritos, tamales and huaraches.

Flat, oval-shaped masa topped with a layer of beans and other toppings, huaraches are named after their shape, which mirrors the sole of a Mexican sandal, or huarache. El Molino’s arrive with sliced avocado, peppers, onions, lettuce, tomatoes, cubed Mexican cheese and your choice of meat. Just like El Molino’s corn tortillas, the huaraches have an earthy and rich corn flavor.

New to the North Charleston location are El Molino’s house-made flour tortillas. Patrons can order them with their meal at the taqueria or pick up a stack of 20 for $3.99.

El Molino North Charleston is open 8 a.m.-9 a.m. daily. For more information, follow El Molino on Instagram @elmolino_supermarket.

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C., May 02, 2023--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ingevity Corporation (NYSE:NGVT) announced today that operations at the company’s North Charleston, South Carolina, plant will continue as normal with the announced closure of WestRock Company’s (NYSE:WRK) North Charleston, South Carolina, paper mill. The two companies will work together to transition limited shared services ahead of the August 31, 2023, closure of the WestRock facility. The companies share a common history, but Ingevity has operated as a stand-alone public company since May of 2016.

"While we anticipate some cost with the transition of shared services, we expect minimal disruption to our operations," said Ingevity president and CEO, John Fortson. "Our primary focus as WestRock exits their plant site is to ensure safe operations and continue to meet the needs of our customers."

WestRock’s plant closure does not impact Ingevity’s recently announced long-term supply agreement for crude tall oil (CTO) with WestRock.

Ingevity: Purify, Protect and Enhance

Ingevity provides products and technologies that purify, protect and enhance the world around us. Through a team of talented and experienced people, we develop, manufacture and bring to market solutions that help customers solve complex problems and make the world more sustainable. We operate in three reporting segments: Performance Chemicals, which includes specialty chemicals and pavement technologies; Advanced Polymer Technologies, which includes biodegradable plastics and polyurethane materials; and Performance Materials, which includes activated carbon. Our products are used in a variety of demanding applications, including adhesives, agrochemicals, asphalt paving, bioplastics, coatings, elastomers, lubricants, pavement markings, publication inks, oil exploration and production and automotive components that reduce gasoline vapor emissions. Headquartered in North Charleston, South Carolina, Ingevity operates from 31 countries around the world and employs approximately 2,050 people. The company’s common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE:NGVT). For more information visit www.ingevity.com. Follow Ingevity on LinkedIn.

The North Charleston Fire Department says Ashley Phosphate Road is partially open as crews remain on scene of a fire involving multiple mobile homes.

Published: Tue May 02 2023|Updated: Wed May 03 2023

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - The North Charleston Fire Department provided updated information Wednesday on a fire that damaged several mobile homes and required the temporary closure of a major roadway late Tuesday afternoon.

A total of nine adults and three children have been displaced by the fire, which damaged five homes on Beret Street, Assistant Fire Chief Chris Rainey said. EMS took one North Charleston firefighter to an area hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

The fire department responded to a 911 call at 4:48 p.m. The first crews to arrive at the scene reported heavy smoke and flames coming from a single-family home.

“Crews made entry to extinguish the fire,” Rainey said. “Firefighters encountered heavy fire and heat inside the home. All residents had evacuated the home.”

They spotted fire extending to a second home and Rainey said high-wind conditions hampered efforts to put out the fires and caused flames to spread to three additional homes.

“This fire has been a wind-driven fire,” North Charleston Fire Safety Coordinator Laura Kondor said at the scene Tuesday night.

Firefighters were able to prevent the fire from spreading to a sixth home, Rainey said.

Kondor said the homes affected by the fire were either a complete loss or partially damaged.

John Marlowe lives across the street from where the fire broke out. He said he was doing yard work when he looked up and saw his neighbor’s home engulfed in flames.

“I was just weed-eating the yard and I looked across the street and saw a bunch of flames coming out of a house,” Marlowe said.

He said he ran over and grabbed a water hose, trying to put out the fire, but there wasn’t enough pressure in the hose to help.

“A bunch of houses went on fire; six houses went down and all of them my friends. All of them are without a home now,” Marlowe said.

Officials with the North Charleston Fire Department said there was not enough water supply in the area to support the amount of fire trucks on scene.

Officials said several power lines were also affected.

The fire forced officials to shut down a portion of Ashley Phosphate Road near the Cathedral of Praise to extend fire hoses for several hours, Rainey said.

Investigators are still working to determine the cause of the fire.

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